At a certain
house, Maria
helped as a maid.
Because the
owner of the
house, Celina,
had to go to
work, Maria was
responsible for
all of the house
chores.
One day, Joel,
the son of the
couple, looked
for a book but
could not find
it. Very angry,
he asked the
maid:
 |
- Maria, have
you seen my book
of Portuguese?
- No, I haven't,
Joel - the woman
replied, with
attention and
affection.
- No? I left it
on the table but
it is no longer
there! I
|
|
need it
urgently! It's
your fault
because you are
always cleaning
the house and
putting
everything away
– he shouted
angrily. |
Maria received
the load of
angry vibrations
from the boy,
and feeling very
unwell, went to
her room and let
painful tears
come down her
cheeks.
Arriving for
lunch, Celina
found everything
quiet and could
not smell food.
On the stove,
not one pot.
Surprised and
worried, she
looked for her
helper and found
her in her
bedroom, lying
down.
- What is it,
Maria? Are you
sick? - she
asked
solicitously.
Wiping the tears
from her face,
Maria serenely
replied:
- It is nothing,
Dona1 Celina. I
felt unwell but
it has passed. I
could not even
make lunch today,
but we have
enough in the
fridge. I'll
heat the food.
- No. Stay down,
Maria. I do it.
Celina went to
the kitchen and
put the pots of
rice and beans
to cook. In the
meantime, she
made an omelet
and prepared a
salad. Eliseu,
her husband,
arrived and she
went to call her
son, who was in
his room.
|
She found Joel
very angry. The
room was all
messy. The
shelves empty
and the books on
the floor. His
clothes were
thrown
everywhere.
Amazed, the
mother asked:
- My son, what
is happening?
Looks like a
hurricane went
through here!
Very angry, the
boy began to
accuse: |
 |
- It was Maria,
mom, I'm sure.
She hid my book
of Portuguese
and I cannot
find it anywhere!
I urgently need
to study it! I
do not know
where else to
look!...
The mother
hugged her son,
who was sobbing,
sat on the bed
with him and
calmed him down:
- Rest assured,
Joel, we will
find your book.
But now I
understand
Maria's sickness
which got her in
bed, unable to
get up and her
face swollen
from crying a
lot. You've been
fighting with
her, haven't you?
- But she is
guilty, Mom! She
has to find my
book!...
Celina realized
what had
happened, and
seeing his anger,
thought it was
time to clarify
everything.
She explained to
her son:
- Joel, be
patient with
Maria. You do
not know but she
came to our
house because
her family died
in a flood. When
she reached the
city, she
knocked on our
door with a baby
in her arms and
asked for food.
She was starving.
I made a plate
for her and
while she ate we
talked. She
seemed to be a
good girl and I
offered her a
job, which she
accepted with
satisfaction.
Then, full of
shame, she
explained that
there was a
problem: she was
illiterate but
she asked if she
could stay
anyway, to which
I replied that
it was not a
problem and that,
later, she would
be able to
attend night
school, and she
was very glad.
- Mom, you mean
to say that
Maria is not
literate? - the
boy asked,
feeling sorry
for her.
- No, my dear.
She is ashamed
of her
illiterate
condition.
During these
years, whenever
I touched on the
subject, she
said she had no
time, that later
she would solve
this issue. And
time passed...
With teary eyes,
Joel murmured:
- But... And the
baby, what
happened to
it...?
The mother
looked at him
with moist eyes
and replied:
- You're the
baby, Joel. As
she could not
afford to care
for her child,
she suggested
that we adopted
you. So, you
were registered
in our name and
went on to have
two mothers.
Thank God, it's
time you knew
about it, my son.
Surprised at the
situation and
crying at the
thought of what
he had done,
Joel murmured:
- Mom, I was
very bad with
Maria. I accused
her of hiding my
book. Now I
understand how
much she must
have gotten hurt
by me. I hurt
her deeply. I'll
go talk to her.
- Go, dear.
Maria deserves
your affection.
Joel went to
Maria's room and
found her
sitting up in
bed, thinking.
Seeing him, she
apologized for
the book's
disappearance to
which he replied,
while he gave
her a hug:
- Forgive me,
Maria. The fault
is not yours. I
do not take good
care of my stuff!
I was unaware
that you cannot
read. I am sorry.
Look, would you
like me to teach
you how to write
and read?
Full of
contentment, she
replied:
- It's what I
want most in
this life, Joel.
Thank you, thank
you very much.
Happy, they both
went to the
kitchen, where
his mother had
already set the
table and was
serving the food.
They all sat
down for lunch,
and Joel wanted
to say the
prayer.
 |
- Lord Jesus, we
thank You for
this day, for
the food we eat
and the presence
of my mother
Maria, who
enlightens our
house with her
light. And may I
help her by
giving her lots
of love, as she
has helped us
for so many
years now.
Maria, surprised
and moved,
realizing that
he now knew the
truth, hugged
her son
|
|
with
love. |
|
Later, tidying
up the mess in
his room, Joel
found the book
under his bed.
He remembered
that, studying
at night, he
fell asleep with
the book in his
hand, which must
have slipped
under the bed.
The most
important thing
now is that Joel
was happy with
the two mothers
that God had
given him.
MEIMEI
(Psychographed
by Celia X. de
Camargo on
31/03/2014.)
1 In Brazilian
society, Dona is
a term of
respect that is
used with the
woman's first
name. In this
case, though, it
is meant to show
humility and
respect towards
her employer.
